Coronavirus: Hong Kong start-up ProcureNet aims to relieve city’s rapid test kits shortage through Mannings
- ProcureNet, a pharmaceutical materials supplier, has signed a deal with Mannings to make its RAT kits available in the city
- The start-up plans to donate the first batch of 50,000 test kits in Hong Kong through NGOs
Hong Kong start-up ProcureNet aims to plug the shortage of Covid-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kits in the city with supplies from its Chinese partners who are ramping up manufacturing capacity, according to its founder and CEO Gurbaksh Chahal.
The pharmaceutical materials supplier struck a supply agreement last Friday with Mannings, one of the city’s largest health and beauty retail chains, to make its kits available in Hong Kong, the Indian-American entrepreneur told the South China Morning Post on Tuesday. He declined to divulge quantities citing confidentiality.
“The discussions moved very quickly – [in] less than 48 hours the initial quantity to the final order increased by 10 times,” he said.
“First delivery should be at the end of next week, although there may be a delay as [there is a] lack of driver availability in Hong Kong due to Covid-19 cases. We expect them to be fully stocked and on e-commerce sites by February 28.”
The coronavirus has been spreading rapidly in Hong Kong over the past few days. On Monday, Hong Kong saw a record 2,071 new cases, with an additional 5,400 preliminary-positive cases on Tuesday morning.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Tuesday that some 100 million rapid test kits had been procured.